I pride myself on being a “smart” traveler. One that dots her i’s and crosses her t’s. I’m always prepared to a degree. But my recent trip to Phuket didn’t go as planned; at least, the transit part didn’t.
As I deplaned from my connecting flight from Kuwait to Bangkok, a Kuwait Airways representative was waiting at the gate for me, my name on a sign. I was confused. She was polite. She told me that one of my bags didn’t make it on the plane from Kuwait. I misunderstood her message because, during the NYC to Kuwait leg, I was fearful that my bags hadn’t made it on the plane. Once in Kuwait, I checked my AirTags via Find My and, after a few minutes, finally saw that they had indeed made it. I thought she was somehow referring to that instance; after all, I had even called the airline during my layover. I thanked the woman and then hurried to baggage claim. I would have to pick up my bags in Bangkok and then re-check them through to Phuket since a) Bangkok was my entry point into Thailand, and b) I would continue my journey on a different airline, Bangkok Airways.
I picked up my first bag and the carousel. And then waited. And waited. And waited some more. After over 18 hours of travel, I was exhausted, but it finally clicked with me what the representative was trying to tell me: ONE OF MY BAGS WAS STILL IN KUWAIT. I checked Find My again, and my bag was indeed still at Kuwait International Airport. I was too tired to be angry but not enough not to cry. I made my way to the baggage desk, where the necessary information was printed out and ready for me. The agent assured me my bag would be on the next flight from Kuwait to Bangkok, then from Bangkok to Phuket, and then delivered to me the following evening. I wanted to trust them, but I was worried. The only bag of mine on the carousel only had a few random pieces of clothes and flip-flops in it, no swimsuits (which meant skinny dipping at the pool), and no underwear (which meant going commando). The remainder of the items in my bag was my friend’s birthday gifts.
I arrived in Phuket with my one bag. I had already freshened up in Bangkok, so I had no clean undergarments. Upon arriving where I was staying, the property manager was gracious enough to take me to the supermarket to buy some toiletries and underwear. Please don’t turn your nose up at supermarket panties; they are super comfortable! I also picked up some candy to soothe my defeat and noted that they also sell cannabis at the supermarket!
My bag arrived the following evening, as promised. I was elated and went on to have a great trip. I thought everything would be smooth sailing after that until it came time to return to the states.
Upon arriving at Phuket Airport, I noticed an email from Kuwait Airways stating that my flight leaving Bangkok to Kuwait was delayed by about an hour and twenty minutes. My layover in Kuwait before my flight was only an hour and ten minutes. You can do the math. At this point, panic set in. I made it to Bangkok without any issues, but during that flight, I explained my problem to the flight attendant, and she said they would hold the plane for me. We had already taken off a bit late, adding another thirty minutes to transit time. I was hopeful but didn’t hold my breath.
They did not hold the plane for me. Now I was the one stuck in Kuwait. The issue was fixed swiftly, with a representative getting me on the next flight to London and, from there, NYC.
There are a few things I learned from this ordeal, having a similar experience traveling to Cape Town, and my bag not making the plane from Johannesburg:
Pack a better carry-on!
I knew my transit time would be over 25 hours, so I packed a change of undies, a toothbrush, and some small toiletries, but I should’ve packed more.
AirTags are your friend!
I could track my bags and knew where they were at all times. Seeing where my bags were gave me peace of mind, even when I saw that my bag was thousands of miles away. And when I saw that my bag was finally in Phuket (and when they said it would be, on top of that!) I was elated and was able to relax into enjoying my trip.
Don’t cut corners!
I wasn’t the only one that missed my connecting flight to JFK. While delays are sometimes unavoidable, in talking to a few members of the left-behind crew, we all vowed to, next time, choose a better airline. I’m basing this off of the experience I had coming AND going. Shell out a few more dollars for one of your favorites. And don’t let longer travel times scare you; more extended layovers give you a buffer so you won’t end up left behind.